Health Minister James Reilly will almost certainly be shifted from the Department of Health when the cabinet reshuffle takes place next month, it is reported today.

Dr Reilly's comments to the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party yesterday, as rerported in the media, had more than a hint of a valedictory address.

The Minister told the Fine Gael Parliamentary meeting that he had not received the support of some of his cabinet colleagues on the discretionary medical card issue, on which he has been forced to make an embarrassing climb-down.

RTE News has reported that the Minister told parliamentary colleagues that whether it is him or someone else as Minister, there was no more room for cuts in health as it was 'cut to the bone'.

Dr Reilly told to Fine Gael TDs that the handling of the medical card issue had been a 'disaster', according to the Irish Independent.

The Minister has been coming under increasing pressure from backbenchers following the medical cards debacle and the local and European election results.

Dr Reilly has been told to prepare legislation to allow those who lost discretionary cards under the now suspended review process to have them returned.

Ther HSE has previously said that under current rules it was not legally possible to return discretionary cards that had been withdrawn, and that those who had lost cards would have to wait for the planned new eligibility system to have their entitlements restored.

The Government plans to change the law to enable medical cards to be granted based on medical need. Under the current legislation, the granting of medical cards is solely based on a person's financial means.

It is now believed that the Minister's plans for free GP care for all by 2016 and universal health insurance by 2019 are now in some doubt.

Dr Reilly did, however, sign a framework agreement with the doctors' union, the IMO, yesterday which would allow talks to take place on the plan to extend free GP care to all under sixes.

Medical cards to be restored

HSE report card may hasten Reilly's exit